Tofino to join Ukee push for directional signs at Junction

Tofino will join Ucluelet’s push for BC’s Ministry of Transportation to replace two directional signs at the junction and replace them with one consolidated sign.

There are currently two blue provincial signs at the junction that provide direction and distance to travelers: one for Ucluelet and one for Tofino.

“The (Ucluelet) mayor’s idea is that these signs be combined into a bit more of a welcome to the Pacific Rim and that they include the names and distances to First Nations communities,” said Tofino Mayor Josie Osborne.

Coun. Dorothy Baert agreed but spoke to “the installation of the rather substantial Ucluelet sign” at the junction and expressed an interest in balancing out the area’s signage, which she considers to be Ucluelet-heavy.

“It seems to me that we may want to be looking, in conjunction with that, to have something that also says Tofino Tla-o-qui-aht,” she said. “Otherwise it’s quite lopsided, I think.”

Coun Garth Cameron agreed. “It would be really nice to clean that up and have nice balanced signage across there,” he said. “I really like the idea of having that balance on the right hand side directing people our way.”

Baert suggested the best-case scenario at the junction would be to replace Ucluelet’s welcome sign with a West Coast consolidated one.

“The other option is to remove the Ucluelet sign and just have one sign, which I know is not going to happen but it would have been my preference,” she said.